Dickson Presents N275.8bn Budget To State Assembly

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has presented a budget estimate of N275.8 billion as against N316. 9 billion in the previous fiscal year.
Presenting the budget christened “Budget of Final Completion” to the state House of Assembly for consideration and passage, the Governor assured that concerted efforts would be made to complete most of the on-going projects before his administration came to an end in February 2020.
Dickson said the 2019 budget proposal consisted of statutory allocation of N233.5 billion representing 84 per cent of the total budget and value added tax of N9.7 billion or 3.55 per cent.
He noted that other revenue projections comprised of internally generated revenue of N16.7 billion, representing 6.7 per cent, and capital receipts of N15.6 billion or 5 per cent of the total budget,
Contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, made available to journalists in Yenagoa, Dickson’s proposed expenditure include, Personnel cost of N47 billion (17.1 per cent), overhead cost, N49 billion or 17.79 per cent, consolidated revenue fund charges N66 billion or 23.49%.
The Governor, who said the capital expenditure was allocated a lion’s share of N113.5 billion representing 41.16 per cent, put the performance rate of the 2018 budget at 50 per cent as government received N153 billion out of the budgeted N316 billion.
On sectoral allocation, the Governor allotted N31 billion to the ministry of works and Infrastructure, which is the highest followed by education, N23 billion, while N6 billion was earmarked for health.
Four billion naira each was allocated to the ministries of agriculture, natural resources, sports development and trade and investment while housing and Urban Development was allotted N3.5 billion.
Others include, transport N2.5 billion, information N2 billion, water resources and science and technology N1.5 billion each while local government administration got N720 million.

Austin Pade, Yenagoa